“It’s this amazing thing that sort of started small, and it really shows the power of women,” said City Parks commissioner Adrien Benepe of the event, which takes place in the Conservatory Garden, designed by one M. Betty Sprout in the 1930s. “It’s so appropriate—I don’t know if everybody here knows how appropriate it is—that women are also helping to rescue Central Park. Now it’s become the hottest ticket in all of town; I’m lucky I get to sneak in.”

Evelyn Lauder was clad in a brown suit with pink accents and—of course—a matching chapeau. Asked her summer plans, she said “To enjoy New York City and Central Park”—really?—though a few trips abroad aren’t out of the question, either.

“I’ll be going to England and Spain,” said the cosmetics queen. Ola!

Deborah Roberts, the ABC News correspondent and wife of Today Show goofball Al Roker, was wearing a svelte black-and-white suit and an arresting smile.

“I just plan to relax a lot with my kids,” Ms. Roberts said. “We have a house in upstate New York, so we just want to go up there and get away from it all and really just veg, swim a lot and eat some ice cream and just relax!” Not too much ice cream for Al, though!

Arriving an hour and a half late, Ms. Roberts’ fellow journalist, Katie Couric, stormed down the steps in a bright shade of beige—yes, we know it sounds contradictory, but that’s what it looked like! After posing for a few eager photographers corralled on the other side of the gate, Ms. Couric gave her apologies to The Transom. “There simply isn’t time,” she said.